


When I'm Gone

by yukisukinomoto



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Turn back, it's angsty, seriously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-26 03:00:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20036806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yukisukinomoto/pseuds/yukisukinomoto
Summary: Some angst for your day.





	When I'm Gone

"Hey Kitty." Her voice rang out loud and clear, and Adrien's heart clenched tight.

He had not had a good week. One of his best friends was gone from his life, and it had hit him hard. So hard that he had even outright disobeyed his father, locking himself in his room so he could try, try as hard as he could to cope. He still hadn't managed. He was dehydrated from crying. He had a persistent migraine from lack of sleep. And that was just physically. Emotionally? He was gone. He was honestly surprised that there weren't about thirty akumas coming at him from every angle. Maybe Hawkmoth was on vacation.

"I know this is... not ideal." She spoke after a moment of silence, her chewing on her lip. She paused again and stared off to the side, as if trying to figure out just what to say.

Adrien, meanwhile, was sitting there trying to reign in his own thoughts so that he could concentrate on what she was saying.

Master Fu had called on him, for the first time ever, to come to his massage parlor because of super hero business. So he had forced himself to shower. Forced himself to leave the house. Forced himself to make the journey across the city.

And now here he was, listening to Ladybug. But she wasn't even there. He was staring at a television screen on the wall. At a recording. She must have been away on an assignment, much as she had when he had to face the Evillustrator. The thought made him choke on a sob that rose up his throat.

"I'm not really sure how to say this. It seems so weird to be talking about this but... well." She heaved a sigh and chewed on her lip again. He wasn't used to seeing her so indecisive. It was weird. Even Plagg had stopped his chewing so he could watch the screen. He had forced a detransformation the moment they entered the shop, despite Adrien's protests, and flown straight into the back loudly demanding cheese. But now, he was sat upon Adrien's shoulder, quiet aside from eating, nestled against his chosen's neck. Adrien thought perhaps it was the brash kwami's way of trying to comfort him.

When she cleared her throat, he forced himself to attention again, as though she were in the room and giving him that stare that told him to stop goofing off.

"We've always been forced to keep our identities a secret." She finally said, folding her hands delicately into her lap. It would have been an elegant pose if she hadn't immediately started twiddling her thumbs. She was anxious, and it was making him anxious. Maybe she was calling for help on whatever assignment had taken her away? Maybe that's why Hawkmoth had been quiet, because he sent some powerful akuma elsewhere. How was he supposed to get wherever she needed him to go? But his thoughts quieted when she spoke again. "But I can't do that. Not now." She was chewing on her lip again. "I'm... I'm scared to do this on camera. But Master Fu promised me that he would keep it safe, and I trust him. Just like you need to trust him now. I know this is hard kitty. Gods, I hope you never have to see this."

Wait, what? He straightened immediately.

"Tikki," she whispered, closing her eyes shut tight. "Spots off."

Adrien felt like his heart stopped. "No." he whispered, the tears starting again, fat drops rolling down his cheeks and dropping onto his lap, onto his hands, everywhere.

Because apparently he hadn't just lost Marinette in that car accident. He had lost his Ladybug as well. 


End file.
